Paul Atkins to be the new chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This sets up a historic change for the regulatory agency. Atkins succeeds Gary Gensler, permanently filling the chairman slot.
Atkins' confirmation by the Senate earlier this month paved the way for his appointment as President Donald Trump's nominee. He certainly has a wealth of experience to draw from for the role. From 2002 to 2008, he was an SEC commissioner.
Prior to his return to the SEC, Atkins operated a Washington consulting firm focused on compliance and policy issues. At the same time, he served in advisory roles with several crypto companies. His expertise in these areas will hopefully inform his approach to regulating the rapidly evolving digital asset ecosystem.
Atkins’s experience working at the SEC during the 2008 global financial crisis serves him well. Senator Elizabeth Warren has directly connected his regulatory oversight to this tumultuous period. His appointment drew fierce opposition from every one of Democrats on the panel, including Senator Warren.
Together we will work to ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business. - Paul Atkins
Atkins is a graduate of Western Washington University, where he studied journalism and history. He previously spent 13 years at Bloomberg News and Businessweek, leading coverage of the regulation of Wall Street. His enterprising windows into public works have brought him national accolades for his exceptional reporting. His experiences as a war correspondent in Iraq and police reporter for newspapers really makes his work special.
His experience in journalism involves reporting on the early days of federal agencies’ discussions about how they should handle regulating cryptocurrencies. It’s this experience that gives him a unique perspective, as he now takes on leadership of the SEC.
With Atkins now at the helm, Mark Uyeda rejoins as the Republicans’ second, long-present Commissioner. This significant turnover in leadership is expected to create a new direction in the SEC’s regulatory priorities and enforcement strategies.
